Even though many people disregard skin conditions as nothing significant, Consultant Dermatologist Dr Evelyn advises people to still see a dermatologist in order to get a precise diagnosis and the best possible treatment.
When it’s time to see a dermatologist
Many people desire beautiful skin, but not everyone is blessed with it. As humans, we are born with all of the world’s flaws. Many people fear being diagnosed with skin diseases and having an imperfect appearance.
Dr Evelyn Yap, Consultant Dermatologist at Mahkota Medical Centre (MMC), discussed the matter, saying that the most prevalent skin diseases she sees in her clinic are eczema, skin infections such as ringworm, and acne.
Eczema
Dr Evelyn explained that eczema is commonly connected with itching, which causes discomfort in sufferers. While it might make a patient feel self-conscious about their looks, the dermatologist said that eczema can also be a burden in other ways.
“Eczema can impact a patient’s life since the itching might make it difficult for them to sleep. This causes fatigue during the day, which might impair performance at work or school. Disrupted sleep affects not only patients but also their caretakers.”
“When a child with the condition wakes up in the middle of the night with itching, their parents do as well. Parents must do everything possible to relieve their child’s irritation, such as applying moisturiser. In the long term, this stresses the parents,” Dr Evelyn said, adding that she has witnessed parents in her clinic break down due to exhaustion from dealing with their children’s eczema.
Some individuals will relate being diagnosed with eczema with poor hygiene. Thus, they become concerned with keeping themselves and their environment clean.
“Unhygienic surroundings that do not meet their standards or expectations can cause anxiety,” she said.
Dr Evelyn recommends that patients use moisturisers free of fragrance and preservatives like paraben and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS) to treat eczema.
“They must use it on a regular basis while avoiding harsh soaps. Patients are advised to use gentle, non-soap cleansers.”
Although moisturisers and gentle soaps can benefit an eczema sufferer, Dr Evelyn said that they alone are not always enough to control the patient’s condition.
“In such cases, dermatologists will first try to identify any recognisable triggers. By using allergy tests, this can be determined. If no triggers are found and the patients’ problems remain uncontrolled, they may require treatment such as creams, oral medications, phototherapy, or injectables.”
“Creams alone are often advised for milder, localised cases, whereas phototherapy, oral or injectable medications may be utilised in people with severe conditions. Although steroids are widely used to treat eczema, they should never be taken long-term and should always be used under supervision to avoid negative effects,” she said.
Fungal infections
Meanwhile, fungal skin infections — ringworm infections like jock’s itch and athlete’s foot — cause significant irritation. Dr Evelyn said that jock’s itch usually affects the groin and buttocks.
“Patients are most distressed when they are in public. The itch causes the urge to scratch, but they had to resist from scratching these regions in public to avoid embarrassment.”
Dr Evelyn urged patients suffering from fungal skin infections to avoid sharing towels.
“Keep the body fold areas dry at all times because wet and moist conditions encourage the growth of these infections. If you have a long-standing ringworm infection that hasn’t cleaned up despite multiple rounds of treatment, you should see your doctor about diabetes, which can cause a prolonged and extensive fungal infection.”
Topical and oral anti-fungal medications are usually used to treat a fungal infection. However, many people are misdiagnosed as having eczema and are then treated with steroid creams. As a result, their condition will worsen, said Dr Evelyn.
Hence, she emphasises the necessity of seeing a certified dermatologist to receive an accurate diagnosis based on the patient’s specific condition.
Acne
Dr Evelyn said that the third most common reason for visiting a dermatologist is acne, which does not itch but causes patients distress due to its visibility.
“It causes people to feel insecure about themselves, which lowers their self-confidence.”
The dermatologist advised patients to maintain their skin clean by washing it with a facial cleanser twice daily to deal with acne.
“Anti-acne ingredients such as niacinamide, salicylic acid, alpha-hydroxy acid, and others may be found in these cleansers. If you have oily/acne-prone skin, avoid using thick and heavy moisturisers.
“Avoid using too much makeup because it might clog your pores and make acne worse. If you have an acne breakout, you could try over-the-counter spot treatment applications. Again, these treatments usually contain the anti-acne ingredients that I’ve mentioned earlier.”
Although over-the-counter skin care products and facial treatments may help relieve minor acne, they may not be effective in treating severe acne. A dermatologist will offer prescription creams such as benzoyl peroxide and retinoids to the patient.
“If that is insufficient, we may prescribe oral antibiotics, contraceptives, or isotretinoin on top of the prescription creams. Aside from acne, we also treat acne scarring, a consequence that has a negative impact on patients’ quality of life.”
Consequences of untreated skin conditions
Many people assume that seeing a dermatologist in a hospital is costly. Some people would try to avoid going to the hospital for menial reasons. Those with skin conditions who do not prefer to consult a dermatologist may seek treatment from their local pharmacy or beauty centre.
“Although they are sometimes treated, there are many occasions where they are misdiagnosed, which can worsen their problems.
“The other issue is that steroid creams are now being dispensed so readily in some of our pharmacies nationwide, even without a prescription. Long-term, unsupervised use of steroid creams can result in negative effects.
“Therefore, I will advise individuals to visit their dermatologist as soon as possible so that appropriate treatment may begin to avoid any potential side effects,” said Dr Evelyn.
Beauty salons, on the other hand, may be an option for improving skin conditions through facial treatments. However, if the problem is moderate to severe, Dr Evelyn recommends consulting with a dermatologist.
“Also, unnecessary extractions on inflammatory acne can raise the risk of facial scarring and trigger bacterial skin infections.”
Sharing about a case she had received — “it is about moles. Moles are quite common, however they can sometimes indicate something more serious, such as skin cancer.”
Dr Evelyn mentioned one of her patients who had a mole on the face removed at a beauty salon only to have it return shortly after.
“A biopsy of the mole later indicated basal cell carcinoma, a kind of skin cancer. Because his condition was severe when he consulted us, he needed extensive surgery to be treated.”
Dr Evelyn had seen a lot of patients in her clinic over the years she had worked in the field.
“If you feel you have sought treatment for your skin condition but it is not improving or progressing and you suspect something is wrong, consult a dermatologist.”
